PRESS RELEASE

“My goals in this industry are to carve a space for marginalized voices, to put books into the hands of new readers, and to make the comics community more accessible to librarians and educators,” says Steenz. “I knew since day one that this company had like intentions. I’m thrilled to be able to continue to work with Lion Forge and be more deliberate with our shared mission as an editor.”

Before coming to Lion Forge, Steenz had been an admin of the Valkyries and its sister organization Valkyries Valhalla, an elite group of women in comic shops, bookstores, and libraries around the world. Upon joining the St. Louis-based publisher in late 2016, she further established the voice and following of the company, making Lion Forge one of the most vocal and active comic book publishers across social media platforms.

“Steenz has always been a valuable—if honorary—member of Lion Forge’s editorial department,” said Andrea Colvin, Vice President – Executive Editor. “Since day one, she’s been contributing significantly to the acquisitions process and her thoughts, opinions, and ideas about comics publishing—and publishing comics for everyone—have been insightful and important. I’m so pleased to welcome her to this new role where I know she will continue to thrive.”

“As Social Media & Community Manager, Steenz has represented Lion Forge to a wide range of external stakeholders and supported our relationships with fans, retailers, and creators. But, she is also a longtime comics fan and a creator of an award-winning graphic novel,” says Lion Forge President, Geoff Gerber. “In an industry challenged with expanding its pool of talent, Lion Forge is committed to professional development and always looks to put people in positions to grow and better help the company. Steenz’s success with our social media couldn’t justify passing up on the success that Lion Forge will see from her shift to editorial.”

Please join us congratulating Christina “Steenz” Stewart in her newly appointed position at Lion Forge Comics, and the next step in her career in publishing.

Christina ‘Steenz’ Stewart is a St. Louis based cartoonist. She has illustrated Archival Quality from Oni Press among other short stories in anthologies such as Elements: Fire and Mine!. Steenz has a history of creating and running comics related programming from her time as a comic shop manager at an Eisner-winning retailer and a comics-focused librarian. She runs Comics University and represents the Volunteer Lawyers and Accountants for the Arts at local colleges. She is currently the acting Social Media and Community Manager and an Associate Editor at Lion Forge Comics.

About Lion Forge Comics:
Lion Forge Comics strives to publish comics that everyone – regardless of background or ethnicity – can identify with. The original graphic novel Andre the Giant: Closer To Heaven was nominated for three Glyph Awards, as well as the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity. Lion Forge Comics also includes the Roar imprint for young adults and the CubHouse imprint for readers twelve and under. It is also home to the Magnetic Collection of premium and critically acclaimed comics and graphic novels, boasting multiple Eisner Award nominees. Across multiple imprints and formats that include licensed properties like Dreamworks’ Voltron Legendary Defender, original works from top independent creators, and the original and all-inclusive Catalyst Prime superhero universe, Lion Forge publishes something for every level of comic fan, young and old.